TOPEKA, Kansas: With both drivers currently in the top six positions of the National Hot Rod Association Top Fuel point standings, the Qatar Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel team, the two-time World Championship team owned by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani, is in far better position entering this weekend’s race then it was one year ago.
This weekend’s 25th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals in Topeka is the eighth of 24 races making up the United States’ 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.
Qualifying is tomorrow and Saturday with eliminations set for Sunday.
One year ago, Shawn Langdon was seventh in the points standings while then rookie driver Khalid alBalooshi was 13th.
The team was struggling. Now, Langdon enters this weekend’s race in third place in points while alBalooshi is sixth.
Those numbers represent a tremendous improvement that happened in just one year.
AlBalooshi, sixth in points, has seven round wins in seven NHRA events so far this season.
On two occasions, he advanced to the semi-finals, and he has qualified in the top-six positions at five of the seven races. Last year, alBalooshi needed 20 NHRA events to reach seven round wins.
“Everybody on our team has been working very hard to make our Al-Anabi team better every time we race,” alBalooshi said.
He added: “Our crew chief is very good; Jason (McCulloch) is tuning the car and keeping everyone on our team pumped up all of the time. The Al-Anabi team is very strong. I know - we all know that we can win a race any time. We try our hardest for Sheikh Khalid every week, and I hope we can win the race in Topeka this week.”
On the silver side of the Al-Anabi pit area, Langdon and his crew chief, Brian Husen, continue to improve and are now just 58 points out of first place in the point standings.
Langdon, who is currently third in points, has advanced at least to the semi-finals at four of the seven races this season. He has one win in three final-round appearances this year. Like his team-mate, Langdon has been an excellent qualifier this season having qualified in the top four at five of the seven races.
“It’s gratifying to be close to the top of the Mello Yello point standings,” Langdon said.
He added: “We’re less than 60 points out of first place so the points lead is within reach, and we’re excited about that. It makes us even more eager to get to Topeka this weekend because we all want to get the Al-Anabi car back to the points lead. It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a long time, and the car has been running really well. So it feels nice to be in the thick of it.”
He explained: “We are proud of what we have accomplished so far, but we are only seven races into a 24-race season. We all know there is much more work to be done for us to win another World Championship for Qatar. That is our goal, but we all know it will not be easy.” THE PENINSULA
